Pubdate: Wed, 10 Jan 2018
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2018 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Antonella Artuso
Page: 6
SOME OUT OF JOINT
Legal marijuana, yes, but not in front of the kids: Poll
Canadians are comfortable with legal pot but would still be reluctant
to consume it in front of their families like they might alcohol, a
new Nanos Research poll shows.
The survey also found that almost seven out of 10 Canadians agree or
somewhat agree that there are medical benefits to marijuana.
Jay Rosenthal, President of Business of Cannabis - which commissioned
the poll and provides news and analysis of the sector in Canada - said
the most surprising finding to him was the high level of public
support or acknowledgement that the product has medicinal benefits.
"There are 225,000 or so patients currently being served by the
licensed producers legally in Canada," Rosenthal said. "They were the
ones that pushed this issue over the decades ... It's interesting, I
think, to see the influence that those really leading edge patients
had with the public."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is following through this summer on his
election promise to legalize recreational marijuana.
Nanos Research's poll says the majority of Canadians either support
(49%) or somewhat support (21%) the government's plan to legalize and
retail cannabis.
Another 19% are opposed and 9% somewhat opposed to legal
weed.
While young adults are most likely to back legal recreational
cannabis, majority support can be found in all age groups, genders and
provinces, Rosenthal said.
"There is a sense that this is a true Canadian industry worth
supporting even if you'll never consume or consume in front of your
family," he said. "It is an industry where Canada is leading."
In front of their families, Canadians were far more reluctant to fire
up a joint than uncap a brewski.
The poll shows 62% of Canadians are comfortable with consuming alcohol
with their families, while another 23% are somewhat
comfortable.
Only 15% were not comfortable or somewhat uncomfortable with alcohol
use in that setting.
A mere 14% would feel OK consuming marijuana products with family
members present, while 48% would be flat out uncomfortable, the poll
shows.
A Canadian might be more reluctant to support alcohol use with the
family if instead of a glass of wine or bottle of beer, they were
asked if they'd drink right from the tap of a keg, Rosenthal noted.
Most people polled might believe that cannabis can only be smoked, but
would become more comfortable with it once realizing there are other
ways to consume it, like oils or drops, he said.
"You won't really have to be smoking in the house," he said. "Or even
in the garage or out back."
Overall, Canadians appear quite at ease with alcohol consumption -
Ontario gave booze the biggest thumb's up of any province in the
country - but not so much with cannabis as 48% indicated they were not
comfortable and another 17% were somewhat uncomfortable with using
it.
The Nanos Research poll highlighted some issues for the cannabis
industry going forward, as the public is split on whether it has done
enough to ensure safe and responsible usage.
"It looks to be from the data that the industry could do more on that
front," Rosenthal said.
Unlike with alcohol, there hasn't been a decades-long relationship
between the industry and the public, he said.
The licenced producers of marijuana are also subject to strict
advertising guidelines that prohibit them from doing almost any
promotion, he said.
The fact that there is a "grey and black" cannabis market at the
moment adds to public confusion about the industry - but that will
change, he said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt